We bid farewell to political greats Mandela and Thatcher, and one of influential movie critics, Roger Ebert

This Jan. 2009 file photo shows film critic and author Roger Ebert, recipient of the Honorary Life Member Award, at the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles. Ebert, the most famous and most popular film reviewer of his time, died April 4, 2013. He was 70.Associated Press

This 1980 file photo shows British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in London. Thatcher died of a stroke Monday morning, April 8, 2013. She was 87.Associated Press

In this Dec. 7, 2005 file photo, former South African President Nelson Mandela, 87, smiles the Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. On Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, Mandela died at the age of 95.Associated Press

In this Sept. 10, 2000 file photo, actor James Gandolfini holds his award for outstanding lead in a drama series for his work in "The Sopranos" at the 52nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. Gandolfini died Wednesday, June 19, 2013, in Italy. He was 51.Associated Press

This June 15, 2007, file photo released by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows convicted killer Richard Ramirez in San Quentin State Prison in Marin County, Calif. Ramirez died June 7, 2013, at age 53 of complications from B-cell lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, according to the Marin County coroner's office.Associated Press

Chef Charlie Trotter listens to a question during an interview with The Associated Press, Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 in Miami Beach, Fla. In a statement released Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, Cook County Medical Examiner Stephen Cina says tests showed Trotter died from a stroke related to high blood pressure. Trotter died Nov. 5. He was 54.Associated Press

Chicago's cutting-edge rock radio disc jockey Larry "Superjock" Lujack at his Palatine home in 1987. He died in New Mexico of esophageal cancer Dec. 18. He was 73.Associated Press

By Bernard McGheeAssociated Press

Both were mold-breaking former heads of state who reshaped their own countries and the world. Nelson Mandela, revered for his efforts to end apartheid in South Africa, and Margaret Thatcher, the "Iron Lady" who imposed her will on Britain's politics and economy, were among notables who died in 2013.

Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at age 95, was considered a master of forgiveness. He became South Africa's first black president after spending 27 years in prison for championing equality against the white-minority government, and he inspired the world by seeking a relatively peaceful transition of power.

As Britain's only female prime minister, Thatcher ruled for 11 years and showed an unshakable faith in the free market, leaving behind a leaner government and more prosperous nation. While she had fierce critics, praise for her leadership came in from around the world when she died in April at 87.

In the arena of arts and entertainment, this year saw the death of one who was hugely influential though not technically an entertainer at all. Roger Ebert, who died in April, was America's most popular film critic, telling audiences which movies to see or avoid with his famous thumbs-up or thumbs-down reviews.

Other political figures who died this year included Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, former Italian Premier Giulio Andreotti, Poland's ex-prime minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki, France's Pierre Mauroy, and Hungary's Gyula Horn, prominent mayors of New York and Beijing, Ed Koch and Chen Xitong, and former U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Harry F. Byrd.

Also dying in 2013 was a man whose invention you may hold as you read this. Doug Engelbart, who died in July, invented the computer mouse and developed other technology that changed the way people work, play and communicate. Others from the world of science and technology who died this year included the Manhattan Project's Donald F. Hornig, Nobel Prize winners Frederick Sanger, Robert Edwards and Kenneth Wilson, and audio pioneers Ray Dolby and Amar Bose and astronauts C. Gordon Fullerton and Scott Carpenter.

Here is a roll call of some who died in 2013. (Cause of death cited for younger people if available.)

January:

Patti Page, 85. Singer who stumbled across "Tennessee Waltz" and made it one of the best-selling recordings ever. Jan. 1.

Conrad Bain, 89. Veteran stage and film actor who became a star in middle age as the kindly white adoptive father of two young black brothers in the TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes." Jan. 14.

Nagisa Oshima, 80. Japanese film director acclaimed for "Empire of Passion" and "In the Realm of the Senses." Jan. 15.

Pauline Friedman Phillips, 94. Under the name of Abigail Van Buren, she wrote the long-running "Dear Abby" newspaper advice column read by millions. Jan. 16.

Donald F. Hornig, 92. Scientist who served as a key figure on the Manhattan Project, an adviser to three U.S. presidents and president of Brown University. Jan. 21.

February:

Ed Koch, 88. Former New York mayor and combative politician who rescued the city from near-financial ruin during three City Hall terms. Feb. 1.

Donald Byrd, 80. Hard-bop trumpeter of the 1950s who collaborated on dozens of albums with top artists of his time and later enjoyed commercial success with hit jazz-funk fusion records such as "Black Byrd." Feb. 4.

Mindy McCready, 37. She hit the top of the country music charts before personal problems sidetracked her career. Feb. 17. Apparent suicide.

C. Everett Koop, 96. He raised the profile of the surgeon general by riveting America's attention on the then-emerging disease known as AIDS and by railing against smoking. Feb. 25.

Van Cliburn, 78. Pianist whose triumph at a 1958 Moscow competition helped thaw the Cold War and launched a spectacular career that made him the rare classical musician to enjoy rock-star status. Feb. 27.

March:

Hugo Chávez, 58. Fiery populist president of Venezuela who declared a socialist revolution, crusaded against U.S. influence and championed a leftist revival across Latin America. March 5. Cancer.

Bebo Valdes, 94. Renowned pianist, composer and bandleader who recorded with Nat "King" Cole and was a key participant in the golden age of Cuban music. March 22.

April:

Roger Ebert, 70. First journalist to win a Pulitzer Prize for movie criticism, who, on his long-running TV review program, wielded the nation's most influential thumb. April 4.

Margaret Thatcher, 87. Conservative British prime minister who infuriated European allies, found a fellow believer in Ronald Reagan and transformed her country by a ruthless dedication to free markets. April 8. Stroke.

Annette Funicello, 70. Child star on "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the 1950s who then teamed with Frankie Avalon on `60s fun-in-the-sun movies with names like "Beach Party Bingo." April 8. Complications from multiple sclerosis.

Robert Edwards, 87. Nobel prizewinner from Britain whose pioneering in vitro fertilization research led to the first test tube baby. April 10.

Maria Tallchief, 88. One of America's first great prima ballerinas who gave life to "The Nutcracker," "Firebird," and other masterpieces from choreographer George Balanchine. April 11.

June:

Chen Xitong, 82. As Beijing's mayor, he backed the military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square democratic movement but later expressed regret for the loss of life. June 2.

Frank Lautenberg, 89. Multimillionaire New Jersey businessman and the last World War II veteran remaining in the U.S. Senate. June 3.

Esther Williams, 91. Swimming champion-turned-actress who starred in glittering, aquatic Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. June 6.

Pierre Mauroy, 84. As France's prime minister in the early 1980s, he implemented radical social reforms that made life easier for French workers. June 7.

Kenneth Wilson, 77. He earned a Nobel Prize for pioneering work that changed the way physicists think about phase transitions. June 15. Complications of lymphoma.

James Gandolfini, 51. Actor whose portrayal of a brutal but emotionally delicate crime boss in HBO's "The Sopranos" turned the mobster stereotype on its head. June 19. Heart attack.

Gyula Horn, 80. Former Hungarian prime minister who played a key role in opening the Iron Curtain. June 19.

Richard Matheson, 87. An American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. Matheson influenced several generations of storytellers including Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. June 23.

July:

Doug Engelbart, 88. Visionary who invented the computer mouse and developed other technology that has transformed the way people work, play and communicate. July 2.

Pran, 93. India's legendary actor who played some of Bollywood's most memorable villains in a career that spanned six decades. July 12. Pneumonia.

Amar Bose, 83. Acoustic pioneer and founder and chairman of an audio technology company known for the rich sound of its tabletop radios and its noise-canceling headphones. July 12.

Cory Monteith, 31. Actor on the television show "Glee" who had struggled for years with substance abuse. July 13. Overdose of heroin and alcohol.

Harry F. Byrd, 98. Champion of racial segregation and fiscal restraint who followed his father into the U.S. Senate. July 30.

August:

March Man Singh Shrestha, 71. Last Nepalese prime minister to serve before protests ushered in the country's first democratic elections in the early 1990s. Aug. 15. Lung cancer.

Florin Cioaba, 58. King of the Gypsies, he was a member of the family that has led Romania's embattled Roma minority since the 19th century. Aug. 18. Heart attack.

Elmore Leonard, 87. Acclaimed crime novelist whose best-sellers and the movies made from them chronicled the violent deaths of many a thug. Aug. 20. Complications from a stroke.

C. Gordon Fullerton, 76. Former astronaut who flew on two space shuttle missions and had an extensive career as a research and test pilot for NASA and the Air Force. Aug. 21.

September:

Eiji Toyoda, 100. Member of Toyota's founding family who helped create the super-efficient "Toyota Way" production method. Sept. 17.

Hiroshi Yamauchi, 85. He ran Nintendo for more than 50 years and led its transition from playing-card maker to video game giant. Sept. 19. Pneumonia.

Harold Agnew, 92. Former Los Alamos National Laboratory director who led the effort to train the first group of international atomic inspectors. Sept. 29.

October:

Tom Clancy, 66. His high-tech, Cold War thrillers such as "The Hunt for Red October" and "Patriot Games" made him the most widely read military novelist of his time. Oct. 1.

Andy Pafko, 92. A four-time All-Star who played on the last Chicago Cubs team to reach the World Series and was the famously forlorn Dodgers outfielder who watched Bobby Thomson's "Shot Heard 'Round the World" sail over the left-field wall during the 1951 National League playoff. Oct. 8.

Scott Carpenter, 88. Second American to orbit the Earth and first person to explore both the heights of space and depths of the ocean. Oct. 10. Complications from a stroke.

Bum Phillips, 90. He coached the NFL's Houston Oilers during their Luv Ya Blue heyday and later led the New Orleans Saints. Oct. 18.

Somdet Phra Nyanasamvara, 100. Thailand's Supreme Patriarch, who headed the country's order of Buddhist monks for more than two decades. Oct. 24.

Lou Reed, 71. Punk poet of rock 'n' roll who profoundly influenced generations of musicians as leader of the Velvet Underground and remained a vital solo performer for decades after. Oct. 27.

November:

Charlie Trotter, 54. Chef who had built a reputation so stellar he changed the way Americans viewed fine dining, and his restaurant put Chicago at the vanguard of the food world. For decades, Trotter's name was synonymous with cutting-edge cuisine. Nov. 5. Stroke.

Glafcos Clerides, 94. Former president who guided Cyprus into the European Union and dedicated most of his 50 years in politics to trying to reunify the ethnically split island. Nov. 15.

Frederick Sanger, 95. British biochemist who twice won the Nobel Prize in chemistry and has been called the father of the genomic era. Nov. 19.

Jane Kean, 90. Performer who got her start in musical theater but was best known as Trixie alongside Jackie Gleason on a TV revival of "The Honeymooners." Nov. 26.

December:

Edward J. "Babe" Heffron, 90. His World War II army service was recounted in the book and TV miniseries "Band of Brothers." Dec. 1.

Nelson Mandela, 95. Colossus of the 20th century who emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa and became the country's first black president. Dec. 5.

Larry Lujack, 73. An immensely popular Chicago radio personality whose sarcasm, grumpiness and sense of humor was unlike anything listeners had heard and who influenced some of today's best-known broadcasters. Dec. 18. Esophageal cancer.

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